Bottom sealing machine



Sept 19, 1967 l.. c, ROESNE ETAL 3,342,116

BOTTOM SELJNGl MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 27, 1965 IN VENTORS 4x4/pava: c. @05m/5@ y BY EA/w f.' MO5/V w JM . Sept. 19, 1967 1 c. ROESNER ETAL. 4 3,342,116

BOTTOM SEALING MACHINE Filed Jan. 27, 1965 1,6 Sheets-Shaw(l 2 INVENTORS AM/QEA/CE' C, @Off/V@ Trae/V573 L. c. RoEsNER ETAL BOTTOM SEALING MACHINE Sept. 19,1967

16 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 27, 1965 NVENTORJ' Sepf- 19, 1967 L, c. ROESNER ETAL 3,342,116

BOTTOM SEALING MACHINE Filed Jan. 2T, 1965 llSheets-Sheet 1 e, i mg m c .M/fw C@ M w sept. 19, 19674 L. C. ROESNER ETAL BOTTOM SEALING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed aan. 27, 1965 QW YWQ Sept. 19, 1967 l.. c. Rol-:SNER 'ETAL BOTTOM SEALING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Jan. 27, 1965 mi f M .WVWUN Sept- 19, 1967 l.. c. Roi-:SNER ETAL 3,342,116

BOTTOM SEALING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Jan. 27, 1965 fev, MM@ m@ EN meg/7e a@ m EMM? 4 mi 4 Sept. 19, 1967 l.A c. vROESNFR ETAL 'BOTTOM SEALING MACHINE `:L6 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTORJ Bie-0% Sept 19, 1957 Lf c. ROESNER ETAL 3,342,116

BOTTOM S EALING MACHINE Filed Jan. 27, 1965 16 Sheets-Sheet 9 ll H Il Il m agi@ 260 fraz/1494 Sept. 19, 1967 L.. c. RoEsNER ETAL 3,342,116

BOTTOM SEALING MACHINE Filed Jan. 27, 1965 l5 Sheets-Sheet 10 70 INVENTORY 6 4M/25m66- 5. @off/wf@ Sept. 19, 1967 16 Sheets-Sheet 1l F'ileclV Jan. 27, 1965 J 6V m5@ MW/fl wf. J7 e f e mI a@ r W2 M kB Sep't. 19,l 196.7 L. c. ROESNER ETAL 3,342,115

BOTTOM SEALINGA MACHINE Filed Jan. 27, 1965 Y 16 Sheets-Sheet 12 552 A '55e l y, ,476, f6,` L 77024/54.

Sept 19, l967 l.. c. ROESNER ETAL 3,342,116

BOTTOM SEALING MACHINE Filed Jan. 27, 1965 16 Sheets-Sheet 14 m N E N N fm' Q) Q) INVENTOR: 4m/@ENCE Geoff/V5@ (L ku Ll BY 5l/4e@ MO5/V Sept. 19, 1967 c. ROESNER ETAL BOTTOM SEALING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet l5 Filed Jan. 27, 1965 0 0) Gv o) (o GMO O) (0 IN VEN TOR)- 4l/Veena@- c @off/Vf@ BY .4f/V420 t MO5/V Sept. 19, 1967 L. c. ROESNER ETAL.

BOTTOM SEALING MACHINE `16 Sheets-Sheet 16 Filed Jan. 2T, 1965 *INVENTUM ci 0f/vee BY 5t/4e@ /1//05/1/ 4 W95/PCE United States Patent O 3,342,116 BOTTOM SEALING MACHINE Lawrence C. Roesner, Downey, and Lenard E. Moen,

Whittier, Calif., assignors to Precision Produce Specialties, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Jan. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 428,462 25 Claims. (Cl. 93-55) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method of and a machine for forming a container from a pair of preformed end panels and a preformed blank having a central rectangular bottom wall forming panel, hinged side wall forming panels along opposite sides of the bottom =wall forming panel, and projecting end panel joining liaps along the edges of the bottom and side wall forming panels, the method and machine operation involving adhesively coating one side of the blank along the flaps thereof, relatively moving the end panels and blank to positions wherein the end panels engage the bottom wall forming panel of the blank along and just inward of the hinge lines of its flaps, and then simultaneously folding the side wall forming panels of the blanks upwardly about the ends of the end panels and folding the aps of the blank inwardly against the outer surfaces of the end panels to adhesively join the flaps to the end panels.

This invention relates generally to the art of fabricating cardboard shipping containers, particularly shipping containers of the kind disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 336,970, filed Jan. 10, 1964, now Patent No. 3,197,108 and entitled Container With G'lued Cardboard Stacking Cleats. The invention has more particular reference to a method of and means for mating the separate preformed end panels and blank which make up the shipping container of said co-pending application and erecting or folding the blank about and joining the blank to said panels in such manner as to form a container structure of the kind disclosed in said co-pending application.

During both storage and shipment, it is common practice to stack shipping containers, one upon the other,

in vertical columns which may be several feet in height.

To enable shipping containers to be safely stacked in this way, each container in a vertical column of stacked containers must `be sufficiently strong to support the vertical load imposed thereon by the upper containers and, in addition, must provide a stable supporting base for the adjacent upper container. Some shipping containers are suiiiciently strong and their top and bottom surfaces are sufciently flat to permit the containers to -be stacked with the bottom surface of one container resting directly on the top surface of the adjacent lower container. On the other hand, the top and/or bottom surfaces of many shipping containers tend to bulge outwardly when the containers are filled. If these latter containers are stacked one on top of the other with the bottom surface of one lcontainer resting directly -on the top surface of the adjacent lower container, each container can rock back and forth relative to its adjacent lower container, thereby resulting in an extremely unstable and unsafe container stack. Other containers do not possess the required strength to enable them to be stacked one n top of the other, at least to the height necessary for Optimum utilization of a given storage space.

By way of example, one type of container which has been in wide-spread use for many years is known in the trade as the Bliss container. The Bliss container, in its simplest form, is fabricated from a single cardboard ice a so-called bottom sealing operation, to a partially com-` pleted condition wherein t-he cover panels are left unfolded to permit the container to Ibe filled. After filling, the container is completed in a so-called top sealing operation during which the cover panels are folded and sealed to close the top of the container. Numerous varia,

tions of the Bliss container have been known and used in the past several decades.

While the Bliss containers have been and are currently being successfully used for many purposes, they are decient for the reason that they often cannot be stacked to the height required by many warehousing and shipping facilities. This is due to the fact that the containers d0 not possess the requisite structural strength and to the additional fact that the top and bottom surfaces of the containers, when filled, tend to bulge outwardly. As noted above, this bulging of each container prevents the latter from providing a stable support for a container resting thereon. The Bliss containers are also deficient in that when exposed to conditions of high humidity, such as are encountered in commercial freezers and refrigerators, the cardboard material of the containers becomes weakened to the point that the containers collapse.

Containers of the kind under discussion are often used to ship produce. In this case, the containers are provided with ventilation openings to permit the free circulation of air through the containers. When such produce containers are stacked, it is desirable to have ventilation spaces between the confronting top and bottom surfaces of adjacent containers to permit the free circulation of air between the containers and through the -ventilation openings in the tops and bottoms of the containers. Many produce containers are not constructed to preserve such ventilation spaces ybetween adjacent containers in a container stack.

'The stacking and ventilation requirements discussed above resulted, many years ago, in the introduction of so- -called stacking cleats. Such stacking cleats comprise flatA strips which are secured to the top and/or bottom of aV container adjacent its ends to provide at supporting sur faces for an adjacent upper container in a column of stacked containers. In addition, these stacking cleats space the confronting top and bottom surfaces of adjacent stacked containers to provide ventilation passages therebetween.

Heretofore, the prevailing practice in regard to stacking cleats has been to cover containers, both of the wooden and cardboard varieties, with a separate lid having wooden stackin g cleats secured thereto. After a container is filled, the lid is placed over the open top of the container and is secured in position by driving nails through the cleats and lid into the container. This existing practice is quite satisfactory from the standpoint of providing containers which may be stacked to the required height with ventilation spaces between adjacent containers, However, the

` use of separate lids and wooden stacking cleats is undeappreciably to the'overall container cost. While the additional costs involved in the use of such a separate lid with wooden cleats may be small for each container, the `overall cost of equipping a large number of containers with such lids may be substantial.

The aforementioned co-pending application Serial No. 336,970 discloses a shipping container which successfully avoids the above discussed defects of the currently available s-hipping containers. The container of said co-pending application is fabricated from a preformed cardboard blank and two separate preformed end wall forming panels, or end panels as they will be referred to herein. The blank is scored and perforated to form a number of longitudinal and transverse hinge lines which define on the blank a central bottom wall forming panel, two side wall forming panels outboard the bottom wall forming panel, two cover forming panels outboard of the side wall forming panels, and end panel joining flaps along opposite side edges of the bottom wall forming panel -and the two side wall forming panels. The two separate end panels have a laminated construction including a wooden core and a cardboard p-anel bonded to the outer surface of the core in such manner that the upper edgey portion of the cardboard panel projects a distance above the upper edge of the wooden core to define a hinged flap.

When fabricating the container, the end panels are mated with the blank by engaging the lower edges of the panels with the central bottom wall forming panel of the blank just inboard of the hinge lines of the iiaps on the latter panel. Thereafter, the side wall forming panels of the blank are folded upwardly about opposite ends of the end panels, the iiaps on the blank are folded inwardly against the outer surfaces of the end panels, the cover forming panels are folded inwardly across the top of the container, and, nally, the projecting flaps on the end wall forming panels are folded inwardly over the folded cover forming panels. The several folded end panel joining iaps on the blank are adhesively bonded to the outer surfaces of the end panels, and the folded aps on the end panels are adhesively bonded to the folded cover forming panels, thereby to form a completed container. In actual practice, the container is initially formed, in a bottom sealing operation, to a partially completed condition, wherein the cover forming panels and the aps on the end panels are left unfolded to permit the container to be lled. Thereafter, the cover forming panels and end panel flaps are folded and sealed in a top sealing operation to complete the container. In this completed container, the folded end panel aps overlie the cover forming panels to define cardboard stacking cleats which are reinforced by the wooden cores of the end panels. It has been found that the improved shipping container of the co-pending application is uniquely capable of satisfying both the stacking and ventilation -requirements referred to earlier.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a method of and a machine for performing the bottom sealing operation just referred to, thereby to partially form shipping containers of the kind disclosed in the aforesaid co-pending application Serial No. 336,970 as well as other similar containers.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a container forming method and machine of the character described wherein a pair of end panels are mated with a preformed blank and thereafter the side wall forming panels of the blank are folded upwardly about opposite ends of the end panels and the end panel joining flaps on the blank are folded inwardly against and adhesively bonded to the outer surfaces of the end panels to form a partially completed container structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container forming machine of the character described which is fully automatic in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container forming machine of the character described which may be adjusted to accommodate container blanks and end panels of different sizes.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a container forming machine of the character described which is relatively compact, reliable in operation, easy to use, c-apable of high speed operation, and is otherwise ideally suited to its intended purposes.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the invention, and in the various combination of method steps involved in the invention, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in t-he appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a bottom sealing, container forming machine according to the invention;

FIGURE 2a diagrammatic'ally illustrates the successive container forming steps performed by the machine during its operation;

FIGURE 2b is an enlargement of two end panel joining aps on one of the blanks shown in FIGURE 2a and illustrating the manner in which these flaps are coated with lue; g FIGURE 2c diagrammatically illustrates the forming machine itself;

FIGURE 3a is an enlarged plan view of the left-hand end of the forming machine as the latter is viewed in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3b is an enlarged plan view of the right-hand end of the machine;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4-4 in FIGURE 3b and showing a number of preformed blanks in position on the machine;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged view looking in the direction of the arrows on line 5-5 in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6a is a section taken on line 6er-6a in FIG- URE 3a;

FIGURE 6b is a section taken on line 6b-6b in FIG- URE 3b;

FIGURE 7 is a section taken on line 7-7 in FIG- URE 6b;

FIGURE 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 in FIG- URE 6b;

FIGURE 8a is an enlargement of the area enclosed by the circular arrow Sa-Sa in FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged section taken on line 9-9 in FIGURE 6a;

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged section taken on line 10-10 in FIGURE 6a;

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged section taken on line 11-11 in FIGURE 6a;

FIGURE l2 is an enlarged section taken on line 12-12 in FIGURE 6a;

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged View, partially broken away, looking in the direction of the arrows on line 13-13 in FIGURE 3a;

FIGURE 13a is a section taken on line 13a- 13a in FIGURE 13;

FIGURE 14 is an enlarged section taken on line 14-14 of FIGURE 12;

FIGURE 15 is a top plan view of the forming mandrel embodied in the forming machine;

FIGURE 16 is a side elevation of the forming mandrel;

FIGURE 17 is an enlarged section taken on line 17-17 in FIGURE 16;

FIGURE 18 is an enlarged section taken on line 18-18 of FIGURE 16;

FIGURE 19 is an enlargement of the upper portion of FIGURE 12 with :parts broken away, and illustrating the forming mandrel descending in its forming stroke to form a container;

FIGURE 20` is an enlarged section taken on line 2020 in FIGURE 19;

FIGURE 21 is an enlarged section taken on line 21-21 in FIGURE 19;

FIGURE 22' is an enlarged plan View of one of the end panel infeed mechanisms embodied in the forming machine;

FIGURE 23 is a view looking in the direction of the arrows on line 23-23 in FIGURE 22;

FIGURE 24 is a section taken on line 24--24 in FIG- URE 23;

FIGURE 25 is an enlarged section taken on line 25--25 in FIGURE 23;

FIGURE 26 is an enlarged section taken on line 26-26 in FIGURE 22 and illustrating a number of preformed end panels placed in the end panel infeed mechanisms;

FIGURE 27 is an enlarged section taken on line 27-27 in FIGURE 22;

FIGURE 28 is a perspective view of certain elements of the end panel infeed mechanism; and

FIGURE 29 diagrammatically illustrates the electrical and pneumatic control system of the machine.

In these drawings, the container forming machine of the invention is designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 1-0and the partially completed container which is formed by the machine is designated in its entirety by the reference character C. As noted earlier, this container forms the subject matter of co-pending .application Serial No. 336,97G. Accordingly, a detailed description of the container may be obtained from said co-pending application. In order to facilitate a full and complete understanding of the present invention, however, it is deemed advisable to briefly describe, at the outset, the container C and the manner in which the container is formed by the machine 10.

To this end, reference is made rst to FIGURE 2a which illustrates the several components of the container and diagrammatically illustrates the successive steps involved in the formation of the container by the machine. The container is constructed of three basic components, to wit, a preformed cardboard blank B and two identical, preformed end panels Pe. The blank B has a number of transverse score lines L1 and L2 which deiine on the blank a central, rectangular bottom wall forming panel Pb, two side wall forming panels Ps .outboard of the bottom wall forming panel, and two cover forming panels Pc outboard of the side wall forming panels. The blank also has a series of longitudinal score lines L3 and L4 which dene end panel joining iiaps F1, along opposite edges of the Ibottom wall forming panels Pb and additional end panel joining flaps FS along opposite edges of the side wall forming panels PS. Each end panel Ie has a laminated. construction and includes a central wooden plate or core W, an inner paper facing F1 .adhesively bonded to the normally inner surface of the core, and an outer cardboard facing FD adhesively bonded to the normally outer surface of the core. The outer facing of each end panel extends a distance above the normally upper edge of its respective core and has a score line L5 parallel to and located a small distance above said edge. For reasons which will be explained later, this spacing is approximately equal tothe thickness of the cardboard blank B. The portion of the outer facing F0 of each end panel above its respective score line L5 delines an end panel flap Fe.

The successive steps involved in the operation of the machine to form a container C from these three basic container components will now be briefly described. As will appear from the later description of the machine, the latter has several stations, to wit, a blank infeed station at which is maintained a supply of the preformed cardboard blanks B and from which these blanks are successively fed to the machine, a gluing station which receives each lblank from the infeed station and applies stripes of glue to certain parts of the blank, a forming station which receives each glue-coated blank from the gluing station, a pair of end panel infeed stations at which are maintained supplies of the end panels Pe and from which these end panels lare successfully fed, in pairs, to the forming station for mating with a gluecoated blank at the forming station, and an outfeed station which receives each partially completed container C from the forming station and ejects the container from the machine. In FIGURE 2a, these several stations are represented by reference characters as follows: blank infeed station S1, gluing station S2, forming .station S3, end panel infeed station S4, and outfeed station S5. As shown in this latter figure, each preformed blank B is fed endwise from the blank infeed station S1, through the gluing station S2, to the forming station S3. As each blank travels through the gluing station, `stripes of icold glue Gc and hot glue G11 are applied to the end panel joining aps Fb and Fs of the blank. Upon arrival of each glue-coated blank at the forming station S3, the blank receives .a pair of end panels Pe from the end panel infeed stations S4. These end panels are initially disposed in positions of mating .relation to the blank, wherein the panels are located over the central, bottom wall forming panel Pb of the blank, just inboard of the score lines L3 along opposite edges of the latter panel. Thereafter, the blank and its mating end panels are forced downwardly into a forming cavity (not shown in FIGURE 2a) during which the side wall forming panels PS of the blank a-re folded upwardly about opposite ends of the end panels Pe and the adhesively coated end panel joining flaps F1, and Fs of the yblank are folded inwardly against the outer surfaces of the end panels, thereby to adhesively secure the blank to the end panels. The cover forming panels P.3 on the blank and the flaps Fe on the end panels are not folded about their respective score lines L2 and L5 during this folding operation, whereby at the conclusion of the forming operation, the adhesively joined blank B and end panels le form a partially completed container structure of the kind designated by the reference character C. This partially completed container structure remains in the forming cavity at the end of the forming operation, just referred to, and is ejected from the cavity to the outfeed station S5 during the formation of the next container structure C. Upon entering the outfeed station, each container structure C is conveyed from the machine.

We proceed now with a description of the container forming machine 10. To aid the reader in following the ensuingdescription of the machine, there is set forth below a table wherein the several figures of the drawings are grouped according to the parts of the machine illustrated thereby.

1. General organization of machine: FIGURES l, 2, 3a,

and 3b.

2. Blank infeed station S1: FIGURES 1, 2, 3a, 3b, 4,

5, 6b, 7, and 8.

3. Gluing station S2: FIGURES 1, 2c, 3a, 6a, 9, 10, 11,

13, `and 13a. i

Forming station S3: FIGURES 1, 2c, 3a, 6a, 1l, 12,

13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21.

. End panel infeed stations S4: FIGURES 1, 2c, 3a, 1l,

19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 218.

. Outfeed station S5: FIGURES l, 6a, 1l, and l2.

. Electrical and pneumatic systems: FIGURE 29.

GENERAL lMACHINE ORGANIZATION Considering the machine generally, the latter will be seen to comprise a main rectangular supporting frame 12` and a pair of cross frames 14 extending laterally out from opposite sides of the main frame, adjacent one end of the latter frame. The blank infeed station S1, gluing station S2, forming station S3 and the outfeed station S5 are located on the main frame 12, at positions spaced therealong. The blank infeed stations S4 `are located on the cross frames 14. The infeed station S1 comprises a storage magazine 16 for containing a supply of the preformed cardboard blanks B and an infeed mechanism 1S for successively feeding the blanks from the magazine to the gluing station S2. At the gluing station is a feed mechanism 20 which receives each blank emergI ing from the infeed station S1 and conveys the blank through the gluing station to the forming station S3. The gluing station S2 also includes a glue applicator mechanism 24 including a pair of col-d glue applicators 26 and a pair of hot glue applicators 28 for applying to each blank, as the latter travels through the gluing station, the stripes of cold and hot glue G,3 and Gh, respectively. The forming station S3 includes a forming mechanism 30 including a forming die 32 having a vertical forming cavity opening through the top and bottom of the die, and a forming mandrel or ram 34 located above the forming die 32 and movable between a lower, extended position wherein the lower, leading end of the ram projects into the forming cavity in the forming die 32, and an upper retracted position, wherein the lower leading end of the ram is retracted out of the cavity. Each end panel infeed station S4 includes an elongate storage magazine 36 for containing a supply of the preformed end panels Pe and an infeed mechanism 38 for successively feeding the end panels from the respective magazine into the forming station S3 to a position of mating relation to a lblank B at the forming station. The outfeed station S5 comprises an outfeed conveyor 40 which receives each partially completed container structure C from the forming station S3 and conveys the container structure from the machine.

Briey, during operation of the container forming machine 10, the infeed mechanism 18 at the blank infeed station S1 successively ejects the preformed cardboard blanks B from the blank storage magazine 16 to the gluing station S2. The feed mechanism 2i) at the gluing station conveys each blank through the gluing station to an initial position at the forming station S3 wherein the blank extends across the open top of the forming cavity in the forming die 32, between the latter and the then retracted forming mandrel 34, and the bottom forming panel Pb of the blank overlies the cavity. During its passage through the gluing station S2, just prior to its entrance into the forming station S3, the blank is coated withthe cold and hot glue Gc and Gh. At this stage in the operation of the machine, therefore, there is situated in the initial forming position at the forming station S3 a glue-coated blank B. The end `panel infeed mechanisms 38 are effective to position a pair of end panels Pe in mating relation to this blank, wherein the end panels overlie the bottom wall forming Pb of the blank, just inboard of the score lines L3 along opposite edges of the bottom forming panel. The forming mechanism 30 at the forming station S3 is now activated to drive the forming mandrel 34 downwardly to its extended position within the forming cavity in the forming die 32. During this extension of the mandrel, the latter drives the pair of end panels downwardly into initial mating engagement with the underlying blank and thereafter drives the mating blank and end panels into the forming cavity. During this movement of the blank and end panels into the forming cavity, the side wall forming panels Ps of the blank are folded upwardly about opposite ends of the end panels and the glue-coated flaps Fb and Fs on the blank are folded inwardly against the outer surfaces of the end panels, in the manner explained earlier, thereby to effect adhesive bonding of the ilaps to the end panels and form a partially completed container structure C. This container structure remains within the forming die during the subsequent upward return of the forming mandrel 34 to its retracted position to await the next glue-coated blank from the gluing station S2. When this next blank arrives at its initial forming position at the forming station S3, the mandrel 34 again descends to force the latter blank and its mating end panels Pe into the forming cavity to form another container structure C. As this latter container structure is forced downwardly, through the forming die, it engages the upstandi-ng cover forming panels Pc on the iirst container structure and thereby ejects the latter structure through the lower end of the die. The first container structure then drops onto the outfeed conveyor 40 and is conveyed yfrom the machine.

As noted earlier, the container forming machine 10 is adapted to operate onpreformed cardboard blanks B and end panels Pb of different sizes, to form container structures `C of different capacities. To this end, the machine is equipped with a changeover mechanism including mechanisms at the blank infeed station S1, the gluing station S2, the forming station S3, and the end panel infeed stations S4 which may be operated in unison to condition the machine to accept blanks and end panels of different sizes. The container forming machine 10 will now be described in greater detail.

BLANK INFEED STATION S1 The blank storage' magazine 16 at the blank infeed station comprises a pair of upstanding wall members 42 and 44 which are disposed in spaced parallel planes extending lengthwise of the machine frame 12. The lower edge portions of these wall members are secured, as by welding, to the inner, confronting surfaces on the upstanding anges 46 of a pair of angles 48 on the machine frame 12. These angles form main supporting members on the frame which extend from a cross member 12a on the infeed end of the frame to a cross member 12b on the frame, just beyond the forming station S3. The ends of the angles 48 are fastened to the cross members 12a and 12b by bolts 50 which extend through slots in the cross members, as shown, whereby the spacing between the angles, and, thereby, also the spacing between the wall members 42 and 44 of the magazine 16, may be adjusted. The upper end of the left-hand magazine wall member 42 in FIGURES 7 and 8 is turned outwardly to form a horizontal supporting shelf 42a. The outer edge of this shelf is preferably supported on the frame 12 by braces 52 which are secured to the frame by bolt and slot connections 54, whereby the braces may be adjusted relative to the frame. Along the forward edge of the wall member 42, that is, the edge of the wall member adjacent the gluing station S2, is an outwardly directed, reinforcing ange 56. Along the forward edge of the opposite wall member 44 is an inwardly directed locating ange 58 for locating the blanks B in the magazine 16 in the endwise direction of the blanks, as will appear presently. This inwardly directed flange has a wear strip 60 welded thereto.

Extending crosswise of the machine frame 12, between the infeed station S1 and the gluing station S3, is a horizontal bridge 62 comprising an angle having a rear depending vertical flange 64 which seats against the forward surfaces of the reinforcing flange 56 and the locating flange 58 on the magazine wall members 42 and 44, respectively. The ends of the bridge 62 are secured to the machine frame 12 by upstanding supports 66 which support the bridge in a horizontal position, a distance above the frame. The' magazine wall flanges S6 and 58 are secured to the bridgeange 64 by bolts 68 which extend through slots in the bridge ange to permit adjustment of the spacing between the wall members 42 and 44, in the manner explained above.

Mounted on each of the main frame angles 48 are a pair of supporting guides 70. As shown best in FIGURE 3b, the guides on the two frame angles are aligned laterally of the frame 12. One of the pair of laterally aligned guides 70 is located adjacent the forward ends of the magazine wall members 42 and 44. The other pair of guides are located a distance forwardly of the rear ends of these wall members. As shown best in FIG- URE Sa, each supporting guide 70 comprises a base plate 72 which is welded to the undersurface of the horizontal flange 74 of its respective frame angle 48 and projects inwardly a distance beyond the angle. Bolted to the upper surface of this inwardly projecting end of the base plate is a block 74 which is notched, as shown, to define, with the base plate, a guide slot 76 opening 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR MATING SEPARATE PREFORMED END PANELS WITH A PREFORMED BLANK AND ERECTING SAID BLANK ABOUT SAID END PANELS TO FORM A CONTAINER STRUCTURE, SAID BLANK HAVING A CENTRAL RECTANGULAR BOTTOM WALL FORMING PANEL, HINGED SIDE WALL FORMING PANELS ALONG OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BOTTOM WALL FORMING PANEL, AND HINGED PROJECTING END PANEL JOINING FLAPS ALONG OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE BLANK, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A FRAME, MEANS ONE SAID FRAME DEFINING A FOLDING DIE HAVING A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR FORMING CAVITY BOUNDED ALONG TWO OPPOSITE SIDES BY FIRST FOLDING MEMBERS AND ALONG ITS TWO REMAINING OPPOSITE SIDES BY SECOND FOLDING MEMBERS, A FORMING MANDREL HAVING A LEADING END. MEANS MOUNTING SAID MANDREL ON SAID FRAME FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN AN EXTENDED POSITION WHEREIN SAID LEADING END OF THE MANDREL PROJECTS INTO SAID FORMING CAVITY AND A RETRACTED POSITION WHEREIN SAID MANDREL IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE CAVITY, SAID MANDREL HAVING A RECTANGULAR CROSS-SECTION GENERALLY COMPLEMENTING SAID FORMING CAVITY AND INCLUDING TWO OPPOSITE SIDE MEMBERS HAVING OUTER SURFACES DISPOSED IN PLANES GENERALLY PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER AND TO THE DIRECTION LINE OF MOVEMENT OF THE MANDREL AND GENERALLY NORMAL TO SAID FIRST TWO MENTIONED OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FORMING CAVITY, THRUST SHOULDERS ON SAID MANDREL REARWARDLY OF SAID LEADING END OF THE MANDREL AND PROJECTING BEYOND SAID OUTER SURFACES OF SAID MANDREL SIDE MEMBERS, SAID THRUST SHOULDERS INCLUDING SHOULDER SURFACES PRESENTED TOWARD SAID LEADING END OF THE MANDREL, SAID BLANK BEING ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED ACROSS SAID FORMING CAVITY BETWEEN THE LATTER AND THE LEADING END OF SAID MANDREL AND SAID PANELS BEING ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED AGAINST SAID OUTER SURFACES OF SAID MANDREL SIDE MEMBERS FORWARDLY OF SAID THRUST SHOULDERS WHEN THE MANDREL IS IN RETRACTED POSITION, WHEREBY FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE MANDREL TO ITS EXTENDED POSITION IS EFFECTIVE TO INITIALLY MOVE SAID END PANELS INTO MATING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BLANK AND THEREAFTER TO FORCE SAID BLANK AND END PANELS INTO SAID FORMING CAVITY BETWEEN SAID FOLDING MEMBERS, THEREBY TO CAUSE SAID FOLDING MEMBERS TO FOLD THE ENDS OF SAID BLANK UPWARDLY ABOUT THE ENDS OF SAID PANEL AND TO FOLD SAID END PANEL JOINING FLAPS AGAINST THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID END PANELS, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID MANDREL BETWEEN SAID EXTENDED AND RETRACTED POSITIONS THEREOF, AND MEANS FOR EXTENDING SAID MANDREL SIDE MEMBERS OUTWARDLY TO URGE SAID END PANELS INTO FIRM CONTACT WITH SAID FLAPS OF SAID BLANK DURING FORWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID MANDREL TO ITS EXTENDED POSITION AND RETRACTING SAID MANDREL SIDE MEMBERS INWARDLY TO RELEASE SAID END PANELS DURING REARWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID MANDREL TO ITS RETRACTED POSITION. 